Lent has begun, and Episode 1 of 40 Days at the Foot of the Cross starts with the foundation of Christianity: you don’t get to follow Jesus and skip the Cross.

In this reflection, we break down what Jesus actually means when He says, “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). The Cross is not inconvenience. It’s death to self. It’s surrender. It’s allowing God to reorder your loves.

We also look at Peter’s resistance to suffering (Mark 8:31–33), why so much of our struggle in Lent is really about control, and what redemptive suffering actually means in Catholic theology.

If Lent feels uncomfortable this year, that’s not failure. The Cross exposes before it purifies.

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